Water kefir is gaining more and more attention these days,
and for good reason!It can be delicious
and is inarguable very healthy for every member of the family!Honestly, I have to culture 2 gallons at a
time to keep up with my family’s demand.Here’s the skinny on the why’s and how-to’s:

Ok, what exactly is
water kefir?It is a cultured, probiotic
beverage resulting from water kefir “grains” mixed with sugar water.“Cultured” simply means that the drink is a
byproduct of a particular combination of beneficial bacteria and yeast.This is what makes it a probiotic product,
just like yogurt, full of all the wonderfully healthy bacteria your gut needs.

The grains can look different depending on what they have
cultured in, but they often are yellow/brown to clear in color and look like
little globs, for lack of a better word!They are hardy, but they need food!Their food is sugar, plain and simple.They can culture in fruit juice, but after a while it takes a toll on
them because of the acidity.They really
prefer sugar water.Now there’s a topic …

Not all sugar is created equal.White sugar produces a very mild tasting
water kefir, and it’s wonderful, especially with a little lemon juice added to
the final product.BUT, white sugar is
very refined and lacks all the nutrients and minerals that raw sugar
possesses.Those minerals are actually
quite important for the grains, so an unrefined sugar such as Rapadura or
Succanat is ideal (both are brands of dehydrated
cane juice – not evaporated cane juice).Coconut palm sugar is another good option.These raw forms of sugar are brown in color,
so your water kefir will be brown in color, too.It will have a stronger flavor, too, but it
tastes wonderful!!Don’t use honey,
though!Honey is naturally antibacterial
and will damage your kefir grains over time!

Now, not all water is created equal, either.As I said, the grains need minerals, so ultra-purified
water from reverse osmosis or tap filters will eventually compromise your
grains, and they certainly won’t multiply for you.Chlorinated and fluoridated tap water is also
detrimental to them.The best option is
well water or natural spring water. If
you have to use filtered water, try these suggestions for adding some mineral
content:

·A few drops of Concentrace (a liquid mineral
supplement available at many health food stores)

·A small piece of egg shell, generally about 1/4
shell per quart.Keep in mind that if
egg shell is added, it is important to ensure that you do not share your kefir
or kefir grains with anyone with an egg allergy.

·Every few batches, add one teaspoon of molasses
for each quarter cup of white sugar used.

You can often find someone who has too many grains from
their own culturing, but be careful!If
the water kefir or the grains smell or taste like yeast, the healthy balance
between the bacteria and yeast is compromised.Believe me, it’s NOT yummy.If
you don’t know anyone who can pass some healthy grains on, you can find
dehydrated grains for sale online.You
have to take a few steps to rehydrate them upon arrival, but they should come
with instructions.I order all of my
cultures from www.culturesforhealth.com.

Assuming you have some grains in front of you, let’s get
started.There are appropriate
proportions for sugar, water, and grains for the best results.For a quart of water, you need ¼ cup sugar
and about 3 tablespoons to ½ cup of grains.For a half gallon of water, just double the amounts to ½ cup sugar and
between 6 tbsp and 1 cup of kefir grains.

Heat up water on the stove top and dissolve the sugar in
it.Allow it to cool to room
temperature, add it to your grains, and fill your container the remainder of
the way with tepid water.And like everything
else, not all containers are created equal.JTired of hearing that yet?Avoid plastic.Glass bottles or mason jars are ideal.Also, avoid using metal utensils with your
grains.If you don’t have plastic or wooden
utensils, you can use stainless steel, but try to keep contact with the grains
to a minimum.Once you have your jar
filled with your grains and sugar water, cover with a paper towel, kitchen
towel, or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band or mason jar band.

On the far left is the sugar water. The two half gallon mason jars in the middle have the kefir grains on the bottom and are ready to be filled with sugar water. The jar on the far right is the strained water kefir ready to drink.

Temperature will largely determine how quickly the grains
consume the sugar.The warmer the
temperature, the faster they eat!To keep
them healthy, you need to change the sugar water every 24-48 hours.The ideal temperature is between 68-78
degrees.During the winter, we let ours
culture (tucked away in a nook away from drafts) for 48 hours, certainly no
longer than 72 hours.The longer is
cultures, too, the more “vinegary” it will taste.Then I strain them using a small fine-mesh
strainer into another mason jar.The
entire process just begins again with a fresh batch of sugar water.

Two freshly prepared half gallon mason jars with fresh sugar water and kefir grains at the bottom. I have them covered with coffee filters.

The strained water kefir is then sealed in the new jar and
placed in the refrigerator, if it’s not consumed immediately at the dinner
table!Sometimes it has a slightly effervescent
or carbonated touch, which makes it taste even better.Don’t worry, though, if it’s not.You can also add dried or fresh fruit to your
water kefir for flavoring, but be sure to change out your fruit daily.This is a little advanced, so you might try
flavoring your water kefir after you have strained it to protect your grains
during your experimentation!

It’s important to keep the sugar water fresh so the delicate
balance of bacteria and yeast isn’t compromised.By taking good care of your grains, you can
enjoy batch after batch of delicious and healthy water kefir indefinitely!

This is absolutely safe for children! Remember, this is a natural, probiotic drink -- not a "supplement" like you buy from the store. Anytime you can work with nature and get something in its natural form as opposed to formulated in a lab, it's always better assimilated! Once you might start giving a sippy cup with diluted juice to a baby (generally when you start solids), you could give this instead and it's MUCH healthier. :-)